Tucking-guide for sewing-machines



No. 653,322. Patente'd July It], I900.

.1. STRONG; TUGKING GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES;

(Application filed. Feb. 12, 1900.)

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JOHN STRONG, OF wATERviLLE, MAINE.

TUCKlNG-GUIDE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

:SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,322, dated July10, 1900. Application filed February 12,1900. Serial No.4,994. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN STRONG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Waterville, in the county of Kennebec, State of Maine, haveinvented a new and useful tucker to be used on sewing-machines in themanufacture of skirts, dresses, and other garments where tucks are to bemade, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspectiveiview ofthe tucker embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinalcentral section of the same. Fig. 3 represents a detail plan View of thebed-plate and slides. Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of the tuckerattached to a sewing-machine.

A designates the table of a sewing-machine, B the presser-foot, O theneedle-bar, and D the needle, these parts being represented only for thepurpose of clearly illustrating the operation and not as forming anypart of my improvement.

E designates a bed-plate attached to the said table by adjusting screw6' passing through slot 6 in the bed-plate and is provided at its frontend with lateral extensions E E one on each side, which make this endbroader than the remainder of the said plate. In the upper face of thesaid plate are formed two parallel longitudinal grooves e and 6,receiviu g, respectively, a gage-slide F and guiding-slideF.Theformerslideisprovidedwith a terminal downwardly-bent gage-hook f. Thelatter slide has a fiat end and merely guides the material as the tuckis sewed therein. These slides are adjusted and held by clamping-platesG and clamping-screws H,

passing through holes 71 in the said clampingplates and intoscrew-tapped holes h of the said bed-plate. Each slide is graduated ininches on its upper face. The said clampingplates are three in number,two being at the sides of the front end of the bed-plate on theextensions E E while the third is at the rear end of said bed-plate.Each of the two former clamping-plates overlaps one of the said slides,while the third clamping-plate overlaps both slides. By loosening two ofthe said screws and clamping-plates and tightening them again after theslide on which they bear has been moved into position I am enabled toadjust thesaid slide and'hold it in any position of adjustment. Byloosening all three screws and plates both slides are left free to beextended or withdrawn for such adjustment. Each clampingplate isprovided with a hole 9 to fit on a fixed stud g to prevent the saidclamping-plate from turning on the screw while in position, as it mightdo if held only by said screw.

The operation is as follows: The bed-plate E is arranged with its frontguiding edge e at a distance from the needle D corresponding to thedesired width of the tuck. The fabric to be tucked is folded at one edgeto form one tuck and the new edge formed by the 'fold is placed againstthe said guiding edge e The presser-foot B is then brought down on thefabric and the fabric is then run through the machine. The fabric isthen turned around, bringing the tuck thus formed into the hook I). Theother side of the material is then folded again and adjusted under thepresser-foot, the folded edge being against the guiding edge e of thebed-plate and run through as before, the said edge e and hook fguidingthe fabric at opposite edges of the tuck, as shown in Fig. 4, and theslides F F preventing it from rising above the sewingmachine tableacross which it travels. These guiding and controlling devices thusarranged make the use of the operators hand almost unnecessary except infirst folding the tuck and arranging the fabric in position. Theadjustability of the slide F is merely to make its operative lengthcorrespond to the width of the work, that its guiding and controllingaction may be effective. The adjustability of the slide F adaptstheposition of the-hook f with relation to the needle so as to gage theintervals between the tucks, the graduations on the two slides F and Faiford ing an easy means of measurement; Of course by moving theseslides out farther the device will be adapted to make the tucks fartherapart, while by withdrawing them so as to bring the hookf and the outerend of slide Fnearer to the guiding edge e of bed-plate E the intervalbetween tuck and tuck will be lessened;

Having thus described my invention,'what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In a tucker for sewing-machines, a hedwith the said bed-plate whichenter holes in plate E having a front guiding edge e pins the saidelamping-plates to prevent the latter g, screw-tapped holes h, andlongitudinal from turning on the said screws, and thus grooves e, 6',with gage-slide F having downkeep them in position to overlap the said15 5 ward terminal hook f and movable endwise slides and clamp them inposition, substanin one of the said grooves, guiding-slide F tially asset forth. movable in the other of said grooves, clamping-plates G forthe said slides, clampingscrews H passing through holes in the saidWitnesses: IO clamping-platesand intosorew-threaded holes J. A.LETOURNEAU,

' of the said bed-plate, and raised pins rigid S. S. BROWN.

JOHN STRONG.

